Indefinite Leave to Remain

Mr. Lidington:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to supply Mr. T. M. of Aylesbury (ref. M1194191; CTS ref. M20613/5) with formal documentation to confirm the grant to him of indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom. [22429]

Mr. McNulty [holding answer 25 October 2005]: The case of Mr. T. M. of Aylesbury is being treated as a priority. The Immigration and Nationality Directorate will grant him indefinite leave to remain when certain documents that were requested from Mr. T. M. on the 25 October have been received.

2 Nov 2005 : Column 1108W

Licensing Hours

Mr. Walker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of violent assaults in England and Wales were attributed to alcohol abuse in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [18556]

Hazel Blears:
The Home Office does not hold data on violent assaults attributable to alcohol abuse (ie involving people with problems with alcohol).

Mr. Walker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research he has conducted into the impact of extended licensing hours on the allocation of police resources; and if he will make a statement. [18558]

Hazel Blears:
Under the outgoing licensing law, the police are annually engaged in over 1.6 million administrative licensing processes which will be streamlined to around 170,000 under the Licensing Act 2003 resulting in a saving of up to £15 million annually. The Act will also give the police further powers to tackle alcohol related disorder, for instance through allowing temporary or permanent reductions in trading hours.

Missing Children

Ms Abbott:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps have been taken to establish the whereabouts of the African and Caribbean boys between the ages of four and seven who were recently identified as having gone missing from London schools over a three-month period; and what steps have been taken to encourage the Department for Education and the Immigration and Nationality Directorate to work more closely together to improve systems of record keeping. [19680]

Hazel Blears:
Initial inquiries made by Metropolitan Police Officers investigating the 'Adam' murder found that a number of African boys had not returned to school following the summer break in 2001. Following their further investigations, I understand from the Metropolitan Police Service that in every case there were legitimate reasons for the boys not returning to school and none of the boys reported as missing is unaccounted for.

There has been considerable media speculation that these children were trafficked for the purpose of ritual abuse. There is no evidence that any of them has come to any harm or been involved in ritualistic practices and there were no allegations from either the families or schools that the welfare of these children was at risk. The Metropolitan police have made it clear that they believe this type of crime to be extremely rare, and that there is no evidence to suggest that any children are at risk.

The Department for Education and Skills, the Home Office and the police service are continuing to work together to reinforce local procedures to ensure that any children at risk might be identified. Every Child Matters: Change for Children, published by the Department for Education and Skills on 1 December 2004, iterates the Government's expectation that by

2 Nov 2005 : Column 1109W

December 2005 every local authority should have systematic arrangements in place to identify children missing from education, so that suitable provision can be made for them.

Motoring Offences

Mr. Amess:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) hit and run accidents, (b) hit and run accidents in which the driver did not have insurance and (c) hit and run accidents for which drivers were taken to court and (i) fined, (ii) imprisoned and (iii) acquitted there were in (A) Southend, (B) Essex, (C) the Metropolitan police area of London and (D) England and Wales in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and what percentage of these fines remain unpaid. [20630]

2 Nov 2005 : Column 1110W

Fiona Mactaggart:
Information on the number of drivers without insurance who are involved in hit and run accidents is not collected centrally.

Available information taken from the Home Office Court Proceedings Database and given in Tables AD2 show the number of offences proceeded against by result for the offence of 'failing to stop after an accident' under the Road Traffic Act 1988 s. 170 (4) from 1999 to 2003 (latest available). 2004 data will be available early in 2006.

Table E, provided by the Department for Transport, details data for those accidents classified as hit and run.

Fines are collected by the courts and the current payment rate for fines in general is around 80 per cent.

Table B2: Proceedings at the Crown court for accident offences(26) dealt with by Essex police by result, 19992000

Number of offences

Total proceedings for trial

Acquitted

Total findings of guilt

Immediate custody (27)

Fine

1999

6

5

1





2000

8

4

4





2001

6

2

2





2002

6

6







2003

27

10

17



4

(26) Aiding, abetting, causing or permitting accident offences under the RTA88 s. 170(4)(27) Includes sentences of Detention and Training Order, Young Offender Institution and Unsuspended sentence of imprisonment.

Table C1: Proceedings at magistrates courts for accident offences(28) dealt with by the Metropolitan police by result, 19992000

Number of offences

Total proceedings

Charges withdrawn/dismissed (29)

Total findings of guilt

Immediate custody (30)

Fine

1999

2,544

1,029

1,293

44

891

2000

2,212

884

1,115

36

737

2001

1,926

827

960

39

577

2002

1,919

768

986

33

603

2003

1,838

746

957

40

535

(28) Aiding, abetting, causing or permitting accident offences under the RTA88 s. 170(4)(29) Includes cases under Magistrates Courts Act 1980 s9 (when court, after hearing the evidence, decide the defendant is not guilty).(30) Includes sentences of Secure Training Order, Detention and Training Order, Young Offender Institution and Unsuspended sentence of imprisonment.

2 Nov 2005 : Column 1111W

Table C2: Proceedings at the Crown court for accident offences(31) with by the Metropolitan police by result, 19992000

Number of offences

Total proceedings for trial

Acquitted

Total findings of guilt

Immediate custody (32)

Fine

1999

32

11

19



2

2000

28

5

23

13

2

2001

15

5

9





2002

34

12

19

3

3

2003

40

12

28

5

5

(31) Aiding, abetting, causing or permitting accident offences under the RTA88 s. 170(4)(32) Includes sentences of Detention and Training Order, Young Offender Institution and Unsuspended sentence of imprisonment.

Table D1: Proceedings at magistrates courts for accident offences(33) within England and Wales by result, 19992000

Number of offences

Total proceedings

Charges withdrawn/dismissed (34)

Total findings of guilt

Immediate custody (35)

Fine

1999

27,259

8,956

16,208

562

9,503

2000

26,692

9,211

15,512

518

8,917

2001

28,105

10,150

15,624

518

8,573

2002

28,394

10,059

15,912

513

8,320

2003

29,549

10,290

16,691

540

8,813

(33) Aiding, abetting, causing or permitting accident offences under the RTA88 s. 170(4)(34) Includes cases under Magistrates' Courts Act 1980 s9 (when court, after hearing the evidence, decide the defendant is not guilty).(35) Includes sentences of Secure Training Order, Detention and Training Order, Young Offender Institution and Unsuspended sentence of imprisonment.

Table D2: Proceedings at the Crown court for accident offences(36) within England and Wales by result, 19992000